He Remembered
by scarecrowbabe
Summary: BettyHenry story. My FIRST Ugly Betty fic, so pls be nice. This is my take on what i think MIGHT happen in the season finale. Please read and review! Thanks.
1. Chapter 1

He Remembered

By Mary

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty. The characters are the property of ABC and Silent H Productions. The idea for this story is mine and I am just borrowing a few characters. I have not read every fanfic from Ugly Betty so I apologize in advance if this idea has already been used. Flashbacks in the story are from the episode "Secretaries Day".

A/N: This is my first Ugly Betty story. I'm a HUGE Betty/Henry fan. This may be considered OOC at least a little since this is my take on what I think may happen in the season finale. Obviously I'm taking a little creative license here since I don't know what's going to happen. I tend to ramble a bit, so just sit back and enjoy the story. Feedback is appreciated, however please no flames! I'm not a professional author, I just write fun.

Flashbacks are in italics.

Henry sat in his cubicle in Accounting and tiredly rubbed his eyes. He had been staring at the same column of numbers for over an hour now and was no closer to finishing the audit than he was when he arrived this morning. Henry sighed and adjusted his glasses, frowning slightly as he tried to remember his dream from this morning.

_He remembered running into Betty at Mode. He asked her about the Administrative Professionals Day party and wanted to crash it. She had seemed surprised at that._

"_Really"? Betty had asked._

"_Yeah…bit of a Dungeons and Dragons geek. Big surprise I know. I guess I have a soft spot for castles. And chivalry. And princesses." Henry had replied, giving Betty a knowing look._

Henry smiled to himself, remembering that shy smile that crossed Betty's face when he'd made the remark about princesses. Well, she was HIS princess, if only in his mind. Henry shook himself out of his daze and glanced at the pile of paperwork on his desk. He sighed again and picked up his pencil, only to toss it back down to the desktop in frustration.

Damn, he thought to himself. What has gotten into me? These internal audits HAVE to be done and I haven't even made a dent in them. Henry ran a hand through his hair as he realized why he wasn't getting any work done.

Betty.

Henry knew it was Betty that was keeping him from sleeping at night and off-balance during the day. A fact Charlie had picked up on and argued with him about. But the thing that was bothering Henry the most was that he had this feeling that something had happened at The Middle Ages that was important for him. And Betty. And Charlie? But as hard as he tried, some of the details of that night were fuzzy.

_He remembered looking for Betty at The Middle Ages and finding her staring at the mat where some unlucky fellow had just been thrown from the jousting steed. Henry followed her worried gaze to the riderless mechanical "steed"._

"_Oh my god, you're going to tame the jousting steed"? Henry had asked._

"_Yeah, it's no big deal. Betty had said, "I have thighs of….."_

_Henry's eyebrows rose, waiting for her to finish._

"_Never mind." Betty said, glancing away from him._

Henry thought he'd asked her to go and play darts or something. Anything would be safer than Betty getting up on that whiplash-inducing contraption. He remembered grabbing her hand to steer her away from certain injury when she'd stopped him.

"_No no no no ". Betty had said, snatching her hand out of his firm grip. She looked at Henry pleadingly, trying to make him understand what she couldn't, wouldn't tell him. _

"_Why?" Was all Henry could think of._

"_It's complicated." Betty said._

Henry had been all ready to accept her explanation and support this crazy idea she had until Christina changed his mind.

"_She needs the money to help her father." Christina had blurted out._

Henry hadn't seen Betty's face as she whirled to face Christina, but he knew she hadn't wanted HIM to know why she was doing this. In that moment, Henry decided to help Betty and her father.

"_You're not doing this." Henry had stated firmly to Betty._

"_Henry…."_

Henry couldn't believe it himself when he went up to volunteer to tame the jousting steed for Betty. He had planned to tell her he would do anything for her when his cell phone rang. It had been Charlie, calling to ask where he was. Henry had explained to her he'd gone to the Administrative Professionals Day party with the rest of his co-workers, only to have Charlie rant furiously on the phone to him, asking especially if Betty was there. Yes, she was there, Henry had told Charlie.

Charlie railed at him angrily, demanding to know why he wanted to spend so much time with Betty. Henry calmly told Charlie she was acting very jealous and that Betty was only a friend. Charlie would never have to know how hard that lie had been, Henry thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Just Out Of Reach

By Mary

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimers.

Chapter 2

Henry had been so distracted by his phone conversation with Charlie that he hadn't heard his name being called to ride the jousting steed. He promised Charlie they would talk when he got home and pocketed his phone. He hurried back to the center of the restaurant, only to see Betty already sitting atop the jousting steed. She looked nervous and scared, but Christina had given her thumbs up and she smiled.

He watched as the mechanical steed started up, slowly turning Betty this way and that. He heard the jeers from Nick Pepper and his buddies a few tables over and ignored them. Christina smiled as Betty held on for dear life. As Henry watched, he saw Nick throw a hard loaf at Betty and hit her square in the face. Betty screamed as the impact knocked her sideways off the steed. She clung to the pommel and dug in her heels. Christina and Henry both gasped as she was flung off the horse with only two seconds left to win the money. Henry's anger at Nick was offset by his concern for Betty.

"_Oh my god, Betty! Are you ok?" Henry asked in alarm as he rushed up to the protective pad._

"_I couldn't do it." Betty said softly as she passed out._

Henry could hear Nick Pepper and his pals high-fiving each other and laughing. Henry was filled with rage. How dare they laugh at her, he thought as he stormed over to the table.

"_What's the matter with you? She could have been hurt!" Henry demanded._

"_Whatever. Brace face jacked my yogurt." Nick said nastily._

Henry remembered the pushing and shoving that followed. Henry had never been so angry before. Even when the challenge was issued to settle the fight on the "log" Henry hadn't backed down. Not that Henry had been scared, but it had all seemed so surreal. Fighting someone for a lady's honor, something that was rare these days. But it wasn't Charlie's honor he was fighting for.

It was Betty's.

"_Henry look, I know you believe in all this chivalry stuff, but you don't have to defend my honor." Betty told him._

_Henry looked at her in surprise. Why would she think he wouldn't defend her honor?_

"_Yes. I do." Henry said firmly, picking up the cardboard crown. "Don't forget your crown." He finished as he placed the crown on top of her head._

This part of the evening is where it becomes a blur for Henry. He can remember getting up on the log with Nick, watching him twirl his "weapon" around like a pro. He can remember bits and pieces of the fight, landing a few blows to Nick and seeing Betty and Christina watching him on the side of the mat.

He dimly remembered the blow to the face that sent him off the log onto the mat. He felt himself falling and pulling himself into a ball as Nick pounded him in the face. Henry could hear someone yelling to "Stop" and "Stop Him" before things went cloudy in his mind. Henry remembered feeling someone, kneeling next to him and putting his glasses on. He felt the soft, warm fingertips of someone adjusting his glasses and wanting to know:

"_Did I win?"_

Henry felt a presence next to him on that mat, warm and comforting. He wanted to stay awake and find out who it was. He needed to thank the person and to see how Betty was. He didn't realize the blows to his face had cut under his eye and his lip, not to mention the slight concussion he was beginning to feel. All Henry knew now was before he had passed out, whoever was with him on that mat he had said something important to. Maybe it was a message to Betty. Maybe it was Betty herself. Henry tried desperately to pull the memory from the fog that surrounded it in his mind.

Sitting here in his cubicle, the memory eluded him. Henry slammed his hand on the desk in frustration. If he was going to find answers, he needed to talk to the people that were there. Henry headed out of his office to find Nick Pepper.


	3. Chapter 3

A Piece of the Pep

Henry rounded the corner and headed down the corridor to Nick Pepper's cubicle. He was prepared to get answers from him one way or another. The sight that greeted him made him stop dead in his tracks.

Nick Pepper's eye was a hideous black and blue, nearly swollen shut. The skin around his eye was a puffy purple-red and looked double its' size. Henry's intake of breath was enough for Nick to look up from his paperwork.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Nick asked warily.

"What happened to your eye Nick?" Henry asked.

"Like you don't already know!" Nick said angrily, his voice rising, "Brace face knocked me a good one!"

Henry took an angry step towards Nick's desk when Nick held up his hands.

"Sorry Henry." Nick said, "I meant that Betty knocked me a good one".

"I-I'm sorry, you said BETTY did that to you?" Henry asked incredulously.

Nick glared at Henry, and then sighed. "Yeah, she caught me after you left with your girlfriend. I called her a yogurt thief and asked her where Sir Dorko was to defend her honor."

Henry stifled a smile as he thought of Betty swinging away at Nick. That thought made him pause and ask Nick:

"Did Betty come up on the mat when I lost?" Henry asked.

"You know, I didn't really look. I was too busy celebrating my win and all." Nick said laughing.

Henry glared at Nick. Obviously THIS was the wrong place to find out what he needed to know. Henry pulled out his wallet and threw a $20 bill on the desk. Nick looked at him, puzzled.

"That's for your yogurt." Henry said calmly, "Now, this fight with Betty is over. Mess with her again and you'll answer to me, MY way next time." Henry finished.

"That sounds like a threat, Grubstick." Nick said nastily.

"Good, then I got my point across." Henry replied as he adjusted his glasses and walked out. Next stop was Christina.


	4. Chapter 4

Romantic Little Banger

Christina was down in the wardrobe room, humming some nonsensical tune when Henry found her. She had been straightening clothes on a rolling rack when she turned to face Henry. And screamed.

"Ahhhh… Henry! What're you doin down here?" She asked. "You've gone and given me a fright."

"Sorry Christina." Henry said, "I just wanted to find out about something."

"Sure Henry, what can I do for you? "Christina asked in her Scottish brogue.

"I need to find out what happened the other night at The Middle Ages." Henry said, "There's some gaps in my memory and I'm not sure what memories I do have are real or just things I'm wishing to happen."

Christina motioned for Henry to sit at the small round table that she kept her supplies on. She smiled at him as he sat uncomfortably on one of the chairs opposite her. Christina looked at him, trying to gauge his feelings. She wanted Henry and Betty together in the worst way; she just wasn't sure what to do to push things along.

"Christina, did Betty come up onto the mat when I lost that duel?" Henry asked.

Christina hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say. She hadn't heard Henry tell Betty that he loved her, but she knew without a doubt that he did. Betty would never lie about something like that, plus any blind fool could see that Henry was totally lovesick over that girl.

"Well Henry, yes she did." Christina said.

"Did I say anything to her?" Henry asked.

"Well, I guess in a manner of speaking you did." Christina said, "I mean I saw your lips moving a wee bit. "

"Ok then, what did I say?" Henry asked with a smile.

"Well Henry, the better question is how do you feel about Betty?" Christina said.

Henry looked down at the tabletop, staring blindly at the swatches of brightly colored fabric, scissors, and measuring tape. He fidgeted with his hands for a few moments before looking up at Christina.

"I-I think, I mean I care about her…." Henry started.

"You **CARE** about her!" Christina said sternly, "you fought Nick Pepper in a restaurant full of her co-workers, bloodied up your face just because you **CARE** about her?!?"

"Well it's complicated." Henry started to explain "I mean there's Charlie, and the fact that we haven't known each other long, and the fact that we work in the same building, and……"

"Henry!" Christina said sharply, "you're out of excuses. Either you know or you don't. If you know, then you need to tell her and if you don't, then maybe you ought to spend some time finding out!" Christina huffed.

"I guess you're right." Henry said, "I guess maybe I need to talk to Betty and Charlie together."

"NO! Bad idea!" Christina exclaimed, "Charlie said……

"Charlie said what??? To whom??? Betty??? What did she say??" Henry asked, his voice rising.

Christina bit her lip; she hoped that Betty wouldn't be too mad; "Charlie told Betty that you were HER boyfriend and that she needed to back off." Christina said quietly.

Henry's head began to pound with the sound of a thousand freight trains. His mind spun at the fact that Charlie would say such a thing to Betty. Sure, he knew Charlie was jealous, but there was no reason to tell her to "back off" unless…….

Henry jumped from the chair and adjusted his glasses onto his nose. He gave Christina his wide, goofy smile.

"Thanks Christina, you've been a big help. Now I know exactly who to talk to and get the answers that I need. Thank you!!!" Henry yelled as he ran from the wardrobe room.

Christina sighed as she watched Henry's retreating form. He really was a romantic little banger, she thought as she picked up another skirt to repair.


	5. Chapter 5

Charlie's Confession is good For the Soul

Henry entered his apartment after a long but fruitful day. He had finally managed to get the department audits done correctly and after placing them on his boss' desk, he beat a hasty retreat home. He hoped that Charlie was there. They needed to talk and NOW. As he toed off his shoes and laid his jacket across a chair, he heard her voice from the kitchen.

"Henry, is that you? I'm so glad you're home. I….."

Whatever Charlie had been about to say died in the air as she looked at Henry. HER Henry, she had thought at one time; now she knew better. Henry's face was a mass of mixed emotions. She saw the anger around his nose and mouth, mixed with hurt. She saw pain and sorrow in his wide, romantic eyes. Eyes that looked at **HER** with pain and sorrow; eyes that looked angry at **HER**. Charlie stiffened her spine and matched his angry look. This was Betty's fault, not hers, she thought.

"Charlie, we need to talk." Henry said "we need to talk about a lot."

"You're right Henry, we do." Charlie responded, "Like about how you went out and got yourself beat up for someone who's only supposed to be a FRIEND!!!" Charlie finished on a scream.

"Charlie, look this is a very confusing time for me right now. Things are…." Henry started to say.

"Things are ruined!! Everything's ruined because of Betty!" Charlie yelled.

"That's not true!" Henry yelled back, "Things are different than they used to be with us but you can't just blame Betty…." Charlie cut him off.

"I can when it's her name you say when you're dreaming and when you told her after you defended her honor that **YOU LOVED** **HER**!!" Charlie cried as she ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Henry gasped in his empty living room as the pieces fell into place finally in his mind.

_Henry remembered falling from the log. He heard Nick Pepper yelling in triumph as he jumped from the log and jabbed the weapon into Henry's face. He could hear Betty screaming "Stop" and "Stop Him" as someone finally pulled Nick off him. He felt Betty kneel down next to him on the mat. Felt her gently push his glasses into place as he looked at her with his one good eye._

"_Did I win?" Henry asked._

_Betty was looking down at him with fear worried that he had been seriously hurt. But looking up at her, he realized that she was looking at him with something else in her dark, beautiful eyes._

_Love_

_Betty loved him!_

_Even though she hadn't said the words, he could feel them radiating from her whole body. From her eyes, that searched his face making sure he was ok; to her hands, soft and warm, that touched him with such tenderness. She was looking at him expectantly, so he said the only thing he could before the darkness closed over him:_

"_I Love You!"_

Henry stood at his living room window, staring at the beauty of the city. From where he stood, he could see the parade of cars whizzing by, taking people to theaters or dinners. He could see the park, where parents played with their children and couples fell in love underneath the growing twilight and starry skies. He could see the twinkle of lights in the distance, windows glowing with families inside being together and loving one another. Henry knew what he wanted now. He wanted Betty. He wanted to be with her so badly his heart felt like it would burst.

But Betty wasn't home yet. She wouldn't be until tonight. Charlie was here now; he would have to finish things with her tonight. Overcome with emotions, some for the woman whose heart he was surely breaking in the next room and some for the woman who had slowly and softly stolen his heart flying back to him tonight, Henry stared out the window at his beautiful city and did the one thing he hadn't done since he was little.

He took off his glasses and he cried.


	6. Chapter 6

At Last, Betty

Betty Suarez sat at her desk at Mode, writing to-do lists and trying to organize the chaos left on her desk from her absence traveling to Guadalajara with her family when she noticed her palms were sweating. She tensed anxiously and was rewarded with a familiar voice

"Hi Betty."

She snapped her head up and looked at Henry and let out a gasp of surprise. Something had happened to Henry while she'd been gone. His eyes still sparkled, yet there were dark circles under them and there was a distinct sadness in them. His posture was straight, yet it seemed he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Betty studied him closely and was surprised to see that he looked tense, as if he were scared to say anything.

Betty licked her lips and looked at him.

"Henry. Hi. What are you doing here so late?" She asked.

Henry pushed his glasses up onto his nose as he stood in front of her desk.

"Um..i was….looking for you. I went by your house and your dad told me you were here." Henry said softly.

"You went by my house?" Betty asked, "Why?"

Henry grabbed a chair and moved it towards Betty's desk. He sat down next to her and gave her a goofy smile.

"I wanted to talk to you. I missed you." Henry said, touching her hand.

Betty pulled her hand out from under his, noticing the hurt look on Henry's face when she did. She cleared her throat.

"So um Henry, how's Charlie?" Betty asked.

Henry took Betty's hand again, this time softly rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. Betty's heart began to beat faster as his thumb rubbed slow circles over the top of her hand.

"I guess she's fine Betty." Henry replied.

"Wh-what do you mean you guess she's fine. Don't you know?" Asked Betty.

"She moved out this morning Betty." Henry said, "She and I split up for good."

"I don't understand Henry. Were you guys having problems?" Betty asked.

Henry's fingers moved up her hand, to gently stroke the inside of her wrist. Betty was scared to move, afraid this was just another dream, until the feather-light caresses stopped and Henry was staring at her.

"Did you miss me?" Henry asked softly.

The feathery touches began again as Betty tried desperately to string one coherent thought together.

"Uh….well….I…um…..I…" Betty stammered as Henry took the pencil out of her other hand and began to gently apply pressure to it. Betty couldn't look at Henry, so she settled for watching his hands rub circles over her own, her small hands enveloped in his. Henry stopped again, pressing his thumbs into her hands lightly to get her to look at him.

"Well, did you miss me Betty?" Henry asked.

Betty stood up from Henry and walked to the window. She looked out over the black velvet blackness pressing against the window. From its' reflection, she saw Henry come up behind her. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her as they shared this beautiful scenery together. But he remained behind her, close enough for her to feel his warmth and smell his cologne.

"I did miss you Henry. More than I thought I would." Betty said softly to his reflection in the window.

"Betty, I wanted to talk to you about something. The night of the Administrative Professionals Party. What happened after that duel?" Henry asked.

"I don't know what you mean." Betty said," Nick knocked you off the log, I went to help you up, then Charlie showed up and took you home."

Henry moved closer to Betty, gently grasping her shoulders from behind. He didn't make any move closer, just rubbed her shoulders as he spoke to her reflection in the window.

"I think there's a little more too it than that Betty." Henry said, tilting his head and giving a small smile, "didn't I say something to you too?"

Betty swallowed nervously. Her palms were sweating and her heart was beating so fast she thought half of New York could hear it. She took a deep breath and looked at their reflections.

"You asked me if you had won." Betty said.

Henry smile widened at their reflections; "And what else did I say?"

"You said……"Betty started to say. She looked down at the floor as tears started to fill in her eyes. She couldn't say it. Not to Henry and have him not say it back. She felt Henry's hands lift off her shoulders as he came to stand in front of her. Betty felt an electric jolt as Henry cupped her chin in his fingers and forced her head up. As her eyes followed the pull of her head, Henry forced her to look at him. Betty could see Henry's eyes were moist and shiny also. She opened her mouth to say something but Henry's words stopped her.

"I told you I Love You Betty." Henry said.

"But I thought you………"

"Didn't remember?" Henry asked. Betty nodded.

"I'm not suffering from a concussion now Betty. I don't have one eye swollen shut. I'm not bleeding anywhere. Charlie or Daniel or even Amanda is nowhere around to interrupt us." Henry said. He took a deep breath; "I love you Betty Suarez. I have since the first moment I saw you. My beautiful butterfly. I love you so much that I feel like I can't breathe without you. With all the insignificant facts I know inside my head, I've been so stupid for so long. I love you Betty!" Henry choked out, tears threatening to fall.

Betty reached up and cupped his face with her hands. She saw all the raw hurt Henry had been putting himself through reflected back in his eyes. He watched her, waiting, hoping that she would return his feelings.

"Oh, Henry…I was so scared! I didn't want to break up you and Charlie, but I got the sweaty palms every time you were around and my heart started racing and then when I broke up with Walter because I didn't love him and I had that dream where you kissed me and……Betty rambled before Henry stopped her.

"You dreamed that I kissed you?" Henry asked.

"Yeah it was Christmas and you mistook the holly for mistletoe and then I saw you at the Christmas party and I looked at you and you looked at me and I got sweaty palms and when I saw you I just knew that I loved you and…..Betty rambled on again.

"Wait. Did you just say you loved me?" Henry asked, grinning.

"Yes, I do love you Henry!" Betty exclaimed, "but listen I just…….

Betty didn't get a chance to complete another thought as Henry cupped her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers. Betty clutched at Henry's shoulders as his arms pulled her closer. His lips were soft and warm against hers. She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and almost jumped at the groan she heard from him. She felt the muscles in his shoulder tighten as if he were holding himself tightly in check. He broke off the kiss briefly to pull her against him and hold her tightly, his chin resting on top of her head.

"Betty I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through. Charlie,

making you feel bad about Walter, my own stupidity….."Henry started to say before Betty cut him off.

Betty pulled back from Henry in order to look up at him. She tightened her fingers on his shoulders as she spoke;

"Henry, this isn't all your fault. I should have told you earlier about Walter. I shouldn't have gotten jealous over Charlie; I should have done a lot of things differently." Betty said as Henry pulled her close again.

"I love you Betty. I'll never do anything to hurt you again. I can't promise, but I'll try. You're the other half of my soul. I don't ever want to be without you again." Henry said, placing a soft kiss on top of her forehead.

"And I love you too Henry. And I know that as long as we're together, everything is perfect." Betty replied.

They leave Mode hand in hand, knowing that even though Betty can take care of herself, Henry still came to her rescue; and Henry can still have a soft spot for princesses.

THE END


End file.
